LOS ANGELES -- Google says one of its self-driving cars has been involved in an injury accident for the first time.

The tech giant disclosed Thursday that one of its SUVs was rear-ended in its home city of Mountain View, and the three people on board complained of minor whiplash. All were released from the hospital soon after the July 1 collision.

In California, a person must be behind the wheel of a self-driving car prototype being tested on public roads. There were also two passengers.

According to Google, its SUV was stopped near an intersection when another car hit it at about 17 mph. On-board sensors showed the other car did not brake.

Google Inc. has pioneered self-driving technology. It says that in six years of testing, its cars have been hit 14 times.